[unreadable] [unreadable] Background: Studies have shown that cross-cultural education must be a critical component of medical education and training in preparing healthcare providers to eliminate racial/ethnic health disparities, and meet the needs of the nation's growing diverse population. This has major significance to the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) because it is the only medical school that serves the five State region of the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho - also known as WWAMI), and the demographics of the minority populations are changing as rapidly as they are in the nation. Objectives: With this grant, the UWSOM will create a Center for Cultural Proficiency in Medical Education (CC PrIME) that will oversee and champion this project of developing a core curriculum in cultural competency (CC), provide CC training of all faculty, residents, and medical students, and be the CC resource center for UWSOM within WWAMI. Design/Methods: Committees will be developed and perform an introspective investigation of the curriculum, needs assessment, and identify opportunities where CC can be integrated. Cultural competency benchmarks will be developed and integrated into the standardized patient (SP)/objective structured clinical exams models presently used. Faculty development in CC will be provided for all faculty involved in teaching. CC PrIME which will serve as a regional educational resource for the UW-SOM and its affiliates in the region, and provide educational materials, databases, and continuing medical education via teleconferencing for both our local and regional medical community. Evaluation methodology will be developed to measure the impact that cross-cultural education has on our graduates on physician behavior, attitudes, and skills. Implications: CC education will enhance and transcend the education taught at the UWSOM to a new level, creating a physician workforce that is well prepared to provide culturally responsive care to underserved populations that suffer from health disparities. (End of Abstract) [unreadable] [unreadable]